Wire-stretcher.



No. 707,526. Patented Aug. I9, I902. M. E. SHINN &. F. J. HERBERT.

WIBE STRETCHER. (Application filed Nov. 22, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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llnirnn STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN E. SHINN AND FREDERICK J. HERBERT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID SHINN ASSIGNOR TO SAID HERBERT.

WIRE-STRETCHER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 707,526, dated August 19, 1902.

Application filed November 22. 1901. Serial No. 83,259. (No model.) i

To (l/ZZ whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, MARTIN E. SHINN and FREDERICK J.I1ERBERT,citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in lVire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of our invention is to provide a new and improved self-locking device for stretching wires and holding their ends in convenient position to be spliced or otherwise secured. Ne accomplish this object by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a wire-stretcher constructed according to our invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same,

partly broken away, showing the parts in such a position that the sleeve 2 shall be free to move along the shank 1.

In the device shown,1 is a rectangular shank having a series of rack-teeth 3 along its upper edge and having at one end a head 4. A member 2, preferably made in the form of a sleeve encircling the shank 1, is mounted on said shank, so as to be slidable longitudinally of same. A cam comprising a plate 5, having on its under side a spiral thread 6, is pivoted to the upper side of the member 2 on an axis that is inclined to the length of the shank 1, so that the thread 6 is in mesh with the rackteeth 3. The pitch of the spiral thread 6 is the same as that of the rack 3, so that one revolution of the plate 5 will cause the member 2 to move a distance of one tooth-space along the shank 1. The plate 5 is provided with a handle 7. The lower surface 8 of the sleeve 2 is flat. A lug 9 projects below the surface 8 and has pivoted thereto a cam 10. The cam 10 is provided with a handle 11 and a projecting flange 12. The cam 10 has a roughened surface 13, which is eccentric to the pivot 14, so that turning the cam 10 in the direction of the arrow 15 will cause the distance between the surfaces 13 and 8 to decrease, and thereby grip a wire 16, which is interposed between said surfaces. The flange 12 is provided to prevent the wire 16 from slipping transversely, and thereby releasing itself from the grasp of the surfaces 8 and 13. It will be seen that a pull toward the left 011 the wire 16 will tend to rotate the cam in the direction of the arrow 15 and increase its hold on the wire. A slot 17 is cut in the lower side of the member 2 to permit said member to be tilted to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus allowing the thread 6 to be disengaged from the rack 3 to permit the member 2 to be freely moved along the shank 1 without rotation of the handle 7. The slot 17 is normally closed by the stop 18, said stop being pivoted to a lug on member 2, so that the slot 17 may be closed or opened at will. The cams 1 9 and 20 are pivoted to the head 4 of the shank 1. These cams have the roughened surfaces 21 and 22, which coact with the surfaces 23 and 24 of the head 4:- The cams 19 and 20 are preferably made of such shape that they will release their hold when their handles are substantially at right angles to the shank 1 and that they will clamp a wire when their handles are thrown in either di rection from such position. The flanges 25 serve the same purpose as the flange 12 on the cam 10. The head 1 is also provided with an eye 26, to which is attacheda chain 27, having at its end a hook 28 of suitable form to engage the links of said chain, thus providing means for securing the device to a post.

The operation of our device is as follows: If it is desired to stretch a wire toward a post, the device may be secured to the post by a loop in the chain 27. The wire may be gripped by the cam 10 and drawn toward the post by rotation of the handle 7, the sleeve 2 being drawn a distance of one tooth-space by each revolution of the plate 5. If the wire is not sufficiently taut when the member 2 is in its extreme position to the right of Fig. 1, the end 29 of the wire may be clasped by the cam 20 and the cam 10 released. The stop 18 may now be thrown into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the member 2 tilted to the position shown in Fig. 3 and moved to the left to any desired position along the shank 1. The member 2 may be then returned to its normal position, as in Fig. 1, and secured in such position by the stop 18. The wire may now be again gripped by the cam 10 and released from the cam 20. Further tension may now be applied to the wire by rotation of the handle 7, as before. When it is desired to stretch two wires toward each other for the purpose of splicing, one may be held by the cam 10, the other by the cam 20, and tension It will be seen that numerous details of the device shown may be altered without departing from the spirit of our invention. We therefore do not confine ourselves to such details except as hereinafter limited in the claims.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In awire-stretcher, the combination of a shank having at one endawire-clamp, a member slidably mounted on said shank, a wireclamp secured to said member, a rack and spiral gearfor moving said member along said shank, and means for throwing said rack and spiral out of mesh with each other to permit the movement of said member along said rack, independently of the rotation of said spiral.

2. In a wire-stretcher, the combination of a shank having at one end two independent wire-clamps, a member slidably mounted on said shank, a wire-clamp secured to said member, a rack and spiral gear for moving said member along said shank, and means for throwing said rack and spiral out of mesh with each other to permit the movement of said member along said rack, independently of the rotation of said spiral.

3. In a Wire-stretcher, the combination of a shank having at one end a Wire-clamp, a member slidably mounted on said shank, a wireclamp secured to said member, a rack and spiral gear for moving said member along said shank, said member being adapted to be tilted on said shank so as to throw said rack and spiral out of mesh with each other, and a movable stop for preventing the accidental tilting of said member.

4. In a wire-stretcher, the combination of a shank having thereon a series of rack-teeth, a wire-clamp secured to one end of said shank, a member mounted on said shank and slidable longitudinally thereof, a Wire-clamp secured to said member, a plate journaled on said member and having on one face a spiral thread in mesh with the teeth on said shank, a handle for rotating said plate and thereby causing said member to move along said shank, said member being adapted to be tilted on said shank so as to throw said spiral thread out of mesh with said rack-teeth, and a movable stop for preventing the accidental tilting of said member.

5. The combination of a rack, a member mounted on said rack and slidable longitudinally thereof, a plate pivoted to said member and having on one face a spiral thread in mesh with said rack,-means for rotating said plate and thereby causing said member to move along said rack, and means for shifting said thread out of mesh With said rack to permit the movement of the member along the rack, independently of the rotation of the said plate.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 27th day of September, 1901.

MARTIN E. Sl-IINN. FREDERICK J. HERBERT. Witnesses:

A. P. SIMONTON, A. R. SEXToN. 

